Think Fast!

It may be that accelerated thinking can improve your mood.  Six experiments at Princeton and Harvard universities in 2009 found that fast thinking "made participants feel more elated, creative and, to a lesser degree, energetic and powerful".  So, things like brainstorming or quickly doing a crossword or other puzzle  can boost a person's mood.  Small bursts of feeling good can lead to upward spirals in general mood.  The key here, though, is that the thoughts must be not only fast, but varied as well. People generally believe that one's ability to think fast indicates a positive mood.  This, in itself, may be the cause for the findings.  (Remember, too, that the simple act of smiling can have a positive effect on one's mood as it seems to trick the brain into thinking we must be happy if we are smiling.)  Or, it may be that thinking quickly triggers the brain's novelty-loving dopamine system.

Be wary, however, of fast, repetitive thoughts.  These can trigger anxiety. Repetitive thoughts which accompany slow thinking tend to sap a person's energy and cultivate depression.  Slow, varied thinking tends to lead to the kind of calm repose and peaceful happiness associated with meditation.

D.

Another Mood Food - Good or Not So Good?

Dark chocolate contains mood-lifting compounds like tryptophan, magnesium (debateable whether magnesium acutally boosts mood or not, though one study showed that it helped reverse depression in some people), tyramine, phenylalanine and anandaminde-related lipids which inhibit anandaminde hydroloysis in the brain, acting as cannabinoid mimics like those present in marijuana.  There's a glitch though:  the sugar that chocolate contains can lead to a sharp rise in blood sugar levels, followed by a sharp drop.  This can leave you feeling 'down' as your mental and physical energy levels suddenly dip. It is best to aim for a 70 percent or higher amount of cocoa solids, without added milk solids or other dairy products,  for maximum health-related compounds as well as less sugar.  There's another glitch:  as with coffee, the caffeine (and some other chemicals which chocolate contains like phenylalanine and tyramine) can bring on feelings of anxiety in susceptible individuals.  And, if you suffer from panic attacks, or episodes of tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, or ectopic heart beats, be wary of consuming regular coffee, tea or dark chocolate as each of these items can bring on one or more of these events.

And, as a final note, stimulants such as caffeine have been shown to increase aggression and anger levels in some individuals.

D.